Public transport in Hamilton and the Waikato Region consists mainly of bus services, as well as some limited train and ferry services. Services are mainly infrequent, and investment hasn't been sufficient to compete with cars, so that subsidies, first introduced in 1971, have increased.

The 2021 Waikato Regional Transport Plan explained the small spend on public transport (7%) and walking/cycling (3%), saying that, although Government, "elevated climate change as a national strategic priority, the Government has not provided the funding to achieve the transformational change necessary to meet its climate change targets and expectations. Waka Kotahi states that 90% of anticipated revenue is committed to a significant programme of work already underway . . . There is therefore, extremely limited funding for new projects . . . to support mode shift and climate change transport activities, like cycling, walking and public transport initiatives."

So, although a Mass Transit Plan, aiming to increase public transport's share in Hamilton to 10%, by running services at 10 minute intervals, was to be developed in 2019, it has yet to be funded by Waka Kotahi. As the map shows, the coverage is sparse and even of those services which operate daily, most have only 2 or 3 buses a day in each direction. Only Hamilton urban services and those to Huntly run hourly, or more frequently. About 40% of passengers travelled on the two routes (Orbiter, Comet) which ran at 15 minute intervals. From Monday 21 February 2022, the less frequent Hamilton buses were cut to hourly, or 2-hourly, due to driver shortages.

The Te Huia commuter train started on 6 April 2021 and runs 6 days a week to Auckland Strand. The only other remaining passenger train is the Northern Explorer.

Ferries remain at Whitianga and Tairua. The Auckland-Coromandel ferry was suspended due to crew shortage, until Explore restarted it in 2025, though running only from October to April.

On 19 July 2021, a ferry service began on the Waikato River, linking Swarbrick's Landing and Braithwaite Park with the museum and gardens. However, the operator went into liquidation in December 2022 and no ferries run in Hamilton.

Shuttle buses provide the only public transport to a number of places, including Hamilton Airport, Whitianga and Whangamatā.

Buses

Hamilton has 23 bus routes covering most of its urban area. Buses also serve Cambridge, Coromandel, Huntly, Mangakino, Matamata, Morrinsville, Ngāruawāhia, Paeroa, Pukekohe, Raglan, Taupō, Thames, Te Aroha, Te Awamutu, Te Kauwhata, Tīrau Tuakau, Putāruru and Tokoroa. A summer shuttle runs between Hahei and Cathedral Cove. Services are operated by 105 buses, 74 of them on Hamilton urban routes. With a break in 2017, Tairua Bus serves Whitianga, Tairua and Ngatea.

Since the sale of the west Hamilton routes in 2018, all Hamilton buses have been operated by GoBus (successor to Buses Ltd – see Hamilton routes below). From 30 September 2017, Pavlovich Coachlines had operated buses in west Hamilton and, prior to that, just the Orbiter. In 2022, Tranzit took on Taupō services and in 2024 also Cambridge and Te Awamutu routes.

InterCity operate long-distance bus services and some regional connections.

Hamilton City routes Route Start Finish Route No. NotesHamilton city1–19,51There are currently 19 routes serving Hamilton urban area. Until 2022 most operated to a half-hourly frequency, the exceptions being the Orbiter (serving the edge of the CBD and the main suburban destinations, such as the Hospital, The Base (from 2 February 2021 accessed via the bridge from Rotokauri Transport Hub), Chartwell and Waikato University, started on 17 July 2006, restored to a 15-minute frequency from 30 September 2017), and with 2 double deck 87-seat buses from 9 April 2017, the Comet (Hospital-CBD-The Base from 1 April 2019) and the free CBD Shuttle (started April 2006, but replaced by a $1 Central City zone on 6 July 2020). Night Rider buses stopped with the COVID epidemic in 2020 and were replaced by two on-demand 16-seat Flex buses, running from 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays from 14 January 2022. )An additional Flex service to Hamilton Airport was launched in February 2022, but was discontinued by February 2024 due to low usage and high annual costs. Otherwise, no buses run after 10pm. The Meteor, the third 15-min interval bus, replaced the 2 (Silverdale) and 8 (Frankton) routes from 28 August 2023, running between Rotokauri, Frankton, Transport Centre, university and Silverdale. From 30 September 2017 buses 1, 9 and 18 were extended to connect with Orbiter and Northern Connector buses at The Base, whilst Hamilton Lake (a new route in 2012) and some roads in Hamilton east lost their bus, when route 15 was ended. From 2 February 2021, the Orbiter was re-routed via Rotokauri Transport Hub, with a footbridge link to The Base. This was to avoid congestion at The Base and link with Te Huia from 12 April 2021.

An advert in 1 June 1937 Railways Magazine showed 10 buses (until 1927 there had been 14 run by Watson, Jubilee and Blue bus companies; Waikato Motor Bus Co started in 1922 and Watsons in 1924, or 1923, as the Green Bus) in the Buses Ltd (Blue Buses) fleet and said they met all trains at Frankton Junction. Buses Ltd had cut its fares in 1928 to achieve a virtual monopoly by driving Green Bus Co. out of business. Major cuts were made in 1971, including all buses after 6pm and on Sundays. No buses now serve the railway station.Frankton191382 Chelmsford steam buses, imported for a Devonport-Takapuna service in 1904, were unsuccessful and were railed to Hamilton in 1906. They probably failed to be profitable on the Frankton route too (possibly because of tyre damage on the rough roads), as horses were again the motive power by 1910. No mention was made of the steam buses when new services were being planned in 1911, 1912 and 1913, when Frankton Hamilton Bus Co (A H Hyde) was allowed to put notices on poles to advertise the 5 buses a day in each direction. Waikato Motor Co Ltd advertised that Daimler buses and Chrysler cars met all trains in 1921. A 1925 photo shows a bus on the new concrete road in Commerce St, Frankton. A 1930s photo shows a Brockway bus on the Frankton-Hamilton East route.Hamilton-Temple View19After a joint Temple View Community Board / Environment Waikato meeting, the bus route closed on Wed 24 December 1997 "due to low passenger numbers".Environment Waikato Bus Newz Summer '98 Temple View became part of Hamilton in 2004, adding 430 hectares and 1,400 people.HCC Annual Report 2004-5 Route 26 was then extended from Dinsdale. Until 2022 it ran half hourly weekdays and hourly on Saturdays, taking 23 minutes for the between the Transport Centre and Cowley Dr, Temple View.Route 26 bus timetable The Bremworth and Temple View routes were divided and renumbered to 19 from 12 August 2020, with each reduced to an hourly frequency.

SH1 routes to Cambridge and south east – current route 20 Route Start Finish Route No. NotesHamilton-Cambridge20Mail coaches were meeting trains initially at Ngāruawāhia, from 1877, and Hamilton from 1881. Local chemist, Edward Boucher Hill, started a car hire service in 1912 Corpe and Edwards started a timetabled motor service from 5 August 1917. A more frequent service was running in 1920. By 1928 there were 6 buses a day. A Cambridge-Auckland bus started in 1932.

Bus 20 now runs 8 buses a day. Tranzit took over the route from GoBus from 1 January 2024. On Cambridge and Te Awamutu routes electric single deck buses were introduced in February 2024 and electric double deckers in November 2024.27 Tauwhare PaFlex minibuses started to serve Tamahere from 12 February 2024 after closure of the airport service.28 Tamahere /MatangiCambridge-KarapiroBuses Ltd operated services in the 1940s.Hamilton-Taupō? 1923 –Inter City provide buses taking about 2 to 3 hours via Rotorua, or via Tokoroa. 1923 reports said service cars were getting stuck between Putaruru and Taupō. From 1924 a route via Cambridge, Hora Hora, Ātiamuri, Wairakei was run by Noel Douglas Robertson until 1928 "owing to competition of the Hawkes Bay and Aard Services" New Zealand Railways Road Services took over the Hamilton-Rotorua route in 1937 and combined it with their Auckland route. Until sold off in 2013, there was a bus station in Gascoigne St, but buses now stop on Tongariro St in Taupō.Tokoroa-Tīrau201530, 31, 37The Tokoroa Urban Connector (renamed South Waikato Connector from 31 October 2022) began running on 22 June 2015, serving Tokoroa, Putāruru and Tīrau It is being funded on an annual basis. A Tokoroa-Putāruru-Hamilton service started in 1946. WINZ and S Waikato District, funded workers services between Tokoroa and Taupō, Mangakino and Ātiamuri in May 2005, but ended in 2007, except that buses continue linking Mangakino to Taupō and Tokoroa on Tuesdays and Fridays.Te Awamutu – RotoruaA Te Awamutu – Arapuni – Putaruru – Rotorua car started in 1925, taking about 4 hours. A ¾ ton International 'Model S', bodied by Hamilton coachbuilder J. B. Pomeroy, transported workers to Arapuni Dam until its completion in 1929.Taupō200433 - 38A bus operated by Waipawa Buses served most of Taupō's suburbs until 5 January 2022. After five days without services, GoBus took over. From Monday 31 October 2022 Tranzit took over the contract and the Taupō Connector became a single route between Wharewaka and Nukuhau. Also Connect2Taupō started to serve Acacia Bay, Kinloch, Tūrangi and Wairakei at least one day a week, in addition to the Mangakino and Tokoroa links. A 27-seat electric bus took over Connector services from 4 December 2023.Auckland-NapierAARD took 13 hours for a route via Hamilton, Rotorua and Taupō by 1938.

SH1 routes to Huntly and north west – current routes 21 and 44 Route Start Finish Route No. NotesHamilton-Huntly193321Buses daily, mostly hourly, the most frequent Waikato bus outside Hamilton From 1933 a Hamilton-Pukemiro service was run by Buses Ltd (Blue Buses), though, a year earlier, it had been refused on the ground that there was an adequate train service. Buses Ltd ran the Huntly service at least from 1933. In 2006 Pavlovich won the Huntly contract. In 2013 the route was renamed 'Northern Connector' and Sunday services added. From 18 April 2017 each bus has 2 bike racks and GoBus takes over from Pavlovich.

Hamilton to Huntly buses all had a 40-minute timetable in 2004, but most were then allowed 55 minutes, then 52 mins. From 29 January 2019 'Huntly Assist' services have been operated by a MAN double decker bus.Hamilton – Pukekohe44via Te Kauwhata – Meremere – ran fortnightly until becoming Mon-Fri in 2019. Buses have linked Pukekohe and Tuakau since at least 1929. They were sold to Railways Road Services on 28 April 1946. Route 44 is operated by GoBus. From 10 January 2021 the Pōkeno to Pukekohe section was increased to 12 buses a day, or 6 at weekends.Hamilton-AucklandThe earliest coach service seems to date back to 1872, departing 6am, arriving 7.30pm, and running alternate days in each direction. Direct Motors was advertising two sedan cars a day in 1928. By 1938 NZR Road Services advertised 3 hours for the journey. Inter City now run 17 buses a day.Port Waikato-PukekoheThursday only bus until 16 April 2026 when it ended due to lack of passengers.Hamilton-OriniAlthough licenses were refused for Orini and Whitikahu in 1938, these rural areas, north east of Hamilton, had a bus to the city until about 1970.Glen Massey-Ngāruawāhia??Walkers Transport, NgāruawāhiaTe Akau-Ngāruawāhia1921Robert Gibb ran a 1920 International from 21 January 1921, which ran alternate days and took about 3½ hrs.

SH26 routes to Morrinsville and SH2 routes to east – current routes 22 and 25